Labor­Management Relations

Interview Guide





Judging the Quality and Effectiveness of

Labor­Management Relations Consultants





National Alliance of Business

The National Workforce Assistance Collaborative builds the capacity of the service providers working with small and mid­sized companies in order to help businesses adopt high­performance work practices, become more competitive, and ultimately advance the well­being of their employees.  The Collaborative was created with a $650,000 cooperative agreement grant from the Department of Labor to the National Alliance of Business.  Current partners on the project include the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning, the Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy at The Pennsylvania State University, the Maryland Center for Quality and Productivity, and the National Labor­Management Association.  The Collaborative provides assistance in four areas:  employee training, labor­management relations, work restructuring, and workplace literacy.  For more information, contact Bernice Jones at the National Alliance of Business, 202/289­2915.





Development and printing of this publication was funded under Grant Number F­4357­3­00­80­60 by the U.S. Department of Labor.  Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the official policy of the U.S. Department of Labor.



c1995 National Alliance of Business



All Rights Reserved.



R5995



For additional copies of this publication, contact:

National Alliance of Business

Distribution

P.O. Box 501

Annapolis Junction, MD  20702

1­800­787­7788

(fax: 301­206­9789)

LABOR­MANAGEMENT RELATIONS

INTERVIEW GUIDE







August 1995

National Alliance of Business

This Labor­Management Relations Interview Guide was developed by Stephen Mitchell with the assistance of Terri Bergman and Peggy Siegel.  



The National Workforce Assistance Collaborative would like to thank the many labor­management relations specialists who reviewed draft versions of the Guide and provided advice and guidance:



l	William Batt, Jr.



l	Robert Baugh, Human Resource Development Institute



l	Lynne Fry, U.S. Department of Labor



l	David Fontaine, Maryland Alliance for Labor­Management Cooperation



l	Gary Moberly, Kentucky Labor­Management Council



l	Maureen Sheahan, Labor­Management Council for Economic Renewal



l	Hugh Tranum, National Labor­Management Association



l	Earl Willford, Minnesota Bureau of Mediation Services



This Interview Guide could not have been completed without their help.



Bernice Jones, Denise Hall, Cathy Stewart, and Kim West handled the design and production work.



INTRODUCTION	1



THIS GUIDE IN CONTEXT	3



HOW TO USE THE INTERVIEW GUIDE	5



STEPS TO TAKE BEFORE LOOKING FOR A CONSULTANT	7



QUESTIONS	9



ANSWERS	11



1.	How will the services you provide help us develop a process for establishing 

	and modifying the policies and practices that build commitment by both labor 

	and management to improve individual and firm performance?	11



2.	How will the services you provide help us develop policies and practices that 

	do not disadvantage any individual or group of employees?	14



3.	How will the services you provide help us develop policies and practices that

	stimulate pride in work?	15



4.	How will the services you provide help us develop policies and practices that 

	demonstrate respect and value for employees and their representative organizations,  

	and promote mutual trust?	17



INTERVIEW WORKSHEET	19



COMPARISON CHART	23



ADVISORY GROUPS	27

Purpose of the Interview Guide



This Interview Guide can be used to determine whether a labor­management relations consultant has the substantive, process, and people skills to help create and foster a positive and constructive labor­management relationship.  A successful consultant will have technical expertise in human resources and/or collective bargaining, an understanding of how the different units of an organization work together, and the ability to facilitate positive interaction between labor and management.  The consultant's effectiveness lies as much in the ability to apply his or her technical expertise to your situation as it does in the level of expertise itself.  Therefore, this Interview Guide is designed to help you determine how the consultant would assess and address your problem.



Before hiring a consultant, you should rigorously interview and screen several candidates for the job.  This Interview Guide is provided as a tool to assist you in that screening process.  The Guide can be used with a wide variety of labor­management relations consultants, including those from  community colleges or universities, non­profit organizations, private consulting firms, and federal or state mediation programs.



Labor­Management Relations



The Guide is based on a list of Labor­Management Relations Best Practice Guidelines, constructed by nationally recognized labor­management relations professionals, business people, and union representatives.  These individuals characterized labor­management relations in the following way:  



With technology and ideas moving around the globe at increasing speeds, a company's workforce is fast becoming its best mechanism for distinguishing itself from its competitors.  More and more frequently, it is the combined knowledge of all of its employees that enables a company to improve productivity and firm competitiveness, and create value in the marketplace.



Labor­management relations encompasses the mutual relationship between an organization's employer and employees, and in unionized workplaces, their union representatives.  Labor­management relations deals with:



l	The policies and practices governing the employees' relationship to the 				company, to the job, and to his or her colleagues; and



l	The process for establishing and modifying these policies and practices.



Positive labor­management relations establishes a foundation of open communication and trust in the workplace.  This foundation enables employees and managers to work together more effectively to share information and expertise to increase productivity, enhance innovation, and improve the workplace environment.

Labor­management relations is just one of a number of workforce and workplace changes companies must undertake to remain competitive in today's global economy.  For many companies, staying profitable involves the adoption of new technologies, restructuring work processes, upgrading employees' knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as redefining the relationship between employers and employees.



All of these changes are interrelated.  New machines frequently require new work processes if they are to be fully utilized.  New work processes can lead to changes in the locus of decision making and a redefinition of both labor's and management's roles.  Training in a variety of skills, including basic reading, writing, and mathematics, is almost always necessary to put any other changes into place successfully.



The National Workforce Assistance Collaborative has prepared a series of tools to help small and mid­sized companies select the high quality service providers and products they need to undertake successful workforce and workplace changes, including:



l	Employee Training Interview Guide: Judging the Quality and Effectiveness of Training Providers,



l	Employee Training Product Checklist: Judging the Quality of Training Products,



l	Labor­Management Interview Guide: Judging the Quality and Effectiveness of Labor­Management Relations Consultants,



l	Work Restructuring Interview Guide: Judging the Quality and Effectiveness of Work Restructuring Consultants,



l	Workplace Literacy Interview Guide: Judging the Quality and Effectiveness of Workplace Literacy Providers, and



l	Workplace Literacy Product Checklist: Judging the Quality of Workplace Literacy Products.



In addition, the Collaborative has published a listing of national membership organizations and state program offices supporting workforce and workplace changes in employee training, labor­management relations, work restructuring, and workplace literacy.  Companies seeking training or consultant services, tools, or resources in any one of the four areas can use this guide _ Resource Guide:  A Key to Organizations Working in Employee Training, Labor­Management Relations, Work Restructuring, and Workplace Literacy _ to find organizations or agencies that can steer them in the right direction.



Before talking to any potential consultants, you should take time to think about what you want, what your concerns are, and what conditions and terms are best for your relationship with the consultant.  Steps to Take before Looking for a Consultant provides some suggestions to help you analyze your need for a consultant and assess your readiness for change.



Before conducting an interview, you should read the Questions and Answers sections of the Guide.  This will provide you with an enhanced understanding of the questions you might ask, and the points a high­quality consultant would make in responding to these questions.  Once you have familiarized yourself with the questions and answers, you can use the Interview Worksheet to conduct an actual interview.



The ideal labor­management relations consultant would make all of the points contained in the answers to the four questions in this Guide.  However, you will probably find that the different consultants you interview will vary in the percentage of points they cover, have differing strengths and weaknesses, and charge relatively divergent fees.  In the end you will have to use your own set of criteria to select one from among the consultants you interview.  Factors to consider include:



l	The percentage of points they cover;



l	The relative value you place on the points the consultants either did or did not cover;



l	Your ability to use other methods to address any of the points not covered by a consultant;



l	The fees charged by the consultants _ compared to each other and to your budget for working with consultants; and



l	Your comfort level with the consultants' approaches and their ability to establish rapport with both labor and management.



In addition, you should look for guidance beyond this Interview Guide to select your consultant.   Ask each consultant you interview to provide:



l	A corporate resume;



l	Resumes of any staff they intend to use for your project; and



l	A list of references.

Check to see what experience they and their staff have in your industry, with companies of comparable size, and in dealing with labor­management relations needs similar to yours.  If you are in a unionized site, it is important to check the consultant's experience in working in a unionized setting.  Call their references and determine how satisfied they were with the services they received.  If possible, visit client sites and ask executives for evidence of tangible benefits delivered by the consultant _ and whether their companies could have done as well on their own.



It is worth the investment in time upfront to ensure that your investment in labor­management relations provides the dividends you are looking for.



Finally, you can use the Comparison Chart at the back of this Guide to summarize the results of the interviews you conduct and the other information you collect for up to four labor­management relations consultants.  This will make it easier for you to compare the relative merits of the consultants.

Change is never easy.  The potential vagaries of working with a consultant make change even more difficult.  The more you take time before hiring a consultant to think about what you want, what your concerns are, and what conditions and terms are best for your relationship with the consultant, the more likely you are to have a successful experience.  Two steps should be taken before you look for a labor­management relations consultant:1



l	Analyze your need for a consultant, and



l	Assess your readiness for change.



If your goal is to enhance the quality of labor­management relations in your firm, we strongly encourage the formation of a labor­management team to take these steps.



Analyze Your Need for a Consultant



Companies seek consultants to address a variety of issues.  To analyze your need for a consultant, you should start by identifying and carefully analyzing the issues you are hoping the consultant will address.  What is your immediate felt need? What is it that led you to consider seeking a consultant's help? Possible precipitating events include:  undesirable performance and trends, interpersonal tension and conflicts, new opportunities and threats, and/or competing companies' behavior.



Once you have identified a felt need, deepen the analysis.  How important is the issue? What are its root causes? What other factors have an impact on this issue? As you deepen your analysis, you should watch out for common errors in defining problems:  mistaking a symptom for a root problem; relying on preconceived ideas about cause; failing to distinguish between cause and effect; using an incomplete diagnosis of the problem; and failing to consider and see how different parts of the organization see the same problem.



Having correctly defined the problem(s), you should try to generate your own set of solutions and assess their benefits.  Both labor and management should visualize their desired, as well as their expected, outcomes.  Proposed solutions should take into account labor's and management's concerns and anxieties regarding efforts to improve the status of labor­management relations.  The ability of labor and management to work through this exercise together should give you a pretty good handle on the status of labor­management relations in your company.



At this point, you should be in a position to determine if you really need a consultant.  Most likely, you will need to hire a consultant if 1) your company lacks the staff expertise or time to deal with the issue, and 2) you perceive a need for an outsider's viewpoint and intervention.



Assess Your Readiness for Change



Analyzing your need for a consultant is the first step to take before hiring a consultant.  Assessing your readiness to work with a consultant to facilitate change is the second step.  If you are not committed to working with a consultant and willing to make changes in the existing relationship between labor and management, the consultant cannot help your company, no matter how much you think your firm may need assistance.



It is one thing to say people are a strategic asset, it is quite another to display that belief in company policy and practice.2 The changes in labor­management relations associated with high­ performance work practices strike at the heart of traditional management practices.  As you read through the list of questions to ask a consultant, try to capture your own beliefs in these areas.  A good consultant will challenge your beliefs.  To avoid unnecessary discomfort, look at yourself first:  Are you willing to hear what you have not wanted to hear? Are you willing to give change a real shot? Successful change requires visionary leadership in both management and labor.  Both management and labor need to recognize their beliefs, and be willing to question and challenge these beliefs.



Working with a consultant, particularly on labor­management relations issues, often entails hidden emotional costs.  These include:  a loss of control, a loss of status, a loss of confidentiality, and a loss of time.  Are you ready and willing to bear these costs?



While it may be possible to implement individual labor­management practices in a short amount of time, changing a company's labor­management relations system requires a long­term change effort.  Are you committed for the long haul?



Ask yourself these questions and determine whether you are ready for and committed to change.  If both labor and management can honestly answer yes, you are ready to look for a consultant.



When you first sit down with a consultant, you will probably start the interview by stating your needs, or the problems you want addressed, and asking the consultant what he or she recommends as a solution.  During the discussion that follows, you will want to determine the consultant's ability to develop, facilitate, and deliver services targeted at your company's specific needs, services that will enhance the state of labor­management relations in your firm.  To do this, you should check to be sure the consultant answers the following four broad questions:



1.	How will the services you provide help us develop a process for establishing and modifying the policies and practices that build commitment by both labor and management to improve individual and firm performance?



2.	How will the services you provide help us develop policies and practices that do not disadvantage any individual or group of employees?



3.	How will the services you provide help us develop policies and practices that stimulate pride in work?



4.	How will the services you provide help us develop policies and practices that demonstrate respect and value for employees and their representative organizations, and promote mutual trust?





While every consultant's answers to these questions will vary, there are a number of key points that you should expect to hear in a high quality consultant's answers.



1.	How will the services you provide help us develop a process for establishing and modifying policies and practices that build commitment by both labor and management to improve individual and firm performance?



+ 	In unionized firms, ensure that the union is recognized and accepted as an independent source of power for workers.  A quality consultant should recognize the rights of employees at both unionized and unrepresented workplaces to select representatives of their own choosing as integral to all aspects of a democratic, high­performance workplace.  A quality consultant that will be operating in a unionized work setting should have plans for:



l	Engaging the labor organization as a partner, recognizing the legitimate role of the union leadership as a change agent;



l	Meeting independently and jointly with labor and management in order to gain a better understanding of each party's views and objectives and to facilitate an effective labor­management partnership;



l	Recognizing the legitimate role of the existing collective bargaining agreement, knowing its contents, and understanding its bearing on the issues to be addressed in this consulting relationship;



l	Ensuring that employee involvement enhances, rather than subverts, any existing labor­management processes; and



l	Being cognizant of the value of equal representation of workers and management on any employee involvement team, whenever possible using the union to select the employee members.



+ 	Ensure that the development and modification of policies and practices is conducted in an atmosphere of mutual respect, trust, and goodwill.  Employees that provide a competitive advantage are a valuable asset, and company policies and practices should reflect that value.  Similarly, employees' livelihoods are directly linked to the success of the company.  A quality consultant should have plans for assessing the current labor­management relations climate in your firm and, where necessary, recommending ways to use this interdependence as a foundation for developing mutual respect, trust, and goodwill.  A quality consultant should be able to facilitate open and honest communications between labor and management, communications that are respectful of the differing and common interests of the parties.



In unionized firms, there are specific structures a consultant should recommend to get a company moving on the right track.  These structures include joint labor­management committees, employee involvement teams, and/or cooperative agreements.  The consultant should provide plans for drawing on this foundation to implement more innovative collective bargaining arrangements, such as collective bargaining based on interest­based techniques (win­win bargaining) and cooperative problem solving.



+	Ensure the viability and credibility of the process for developing and modifying policies and practices.  A change effort will not be successful if it is not supported widely throughout the company.  A quality consultant should have plans for designing and implementing structures and processes that allow for the involvement and commitment of management and workers (and in unionized firms, their unions) to:



l	Identify the issues that need to be addressed;



l	Help set the objectives that the company wishes to achieve;



l	Develop the options available to address the issues identified;



l	Identify the changes required;



l	Plan the means and timing for implementing the options; and



l	Design a communications system to distribute relevant information throughout the organization and to collect feedback from all of the workforce.



+ 	Establish relevant criteria for developing and modifying policies and practices.  A quality consultant should have plans to help you:



l	Establish criteria to assess labor­management relations policies and practices which take account of human value, the need to increase productivity, and customer requirements;



l	Design a process that is future­directed and value­driven, not rule­driven or position­driven; and



l	Integrate best practice labor­management relations into the way your firm does business.



+	Ensure that monitoring and review of the performance of the workplace is ongoing.  A quality consultant should have plans to help you design and implement a performance management system that:



l	Routinely collects, analyzes, and uses customer and performance data to determine progress and success;



l	Benchmarks key work processes against industry leaders as well as high performing organizations from other industries and sectors to identify improvement opportunities; and



l	Uses an organizational assessment to align labor­management relations policies and practices with other change efforts and to make improvements in an ongoing, systemic fashion.



+	Provide a comprehensive training and development program to assist both workers and managers to acquire the communication, interpersonal, group, and industrial relations skills needed to develop and implement best practice policies and practices.  The changes in labor­management relations characteristic of high­performing organizations represent a fundamental reworking of traditional, hierarchical approaches to management and of adversarial approaches to labor relations.  A quality consultant should have plans to design and implement a comprehensive training and development program to support labor and management in their new roles and relationships.

2.	How will the services you provide help us develop policies and practices that do not disadvantage any individual or group of employees?



+ 	Ensure that policies and practices minimize social and economic distinctions between management and other employees.  A good workplace is based on a sense of community.  It helps people find the most effective, most productive, most rewarding ways of working together.  A quality consultant should have plans for identifying the structures, processes, and norms in your company that reinforce social and economic distinctions between staff, isolate people, and discourage open discussion.  He or she should have plans to help develop new rules, policies, and procedures to provide some standards of treatment that:



l	Ensure there is no disadvantage to any individuals or groups of employees;



l	Reduce pay and status differentials between workers and managers; and



l	Provide consistency of treatment across all employees.



+ 	Ensure that issue resolution systems provide due process and allow free speech.           A quality consultant should have plans to design and implement systems for issue resolution that:



l	Provide a clear process with specific forums to inquire about policies, procedures, or key decisions that an individual or group finds unjust, and to advocate for a different outcome; and



l	Include preventative mechanisms (i.e., ways to solicit opinions and suggestions about organizational policies and practices before an injustice occurs) and remedial mechanisms (i.e., appeals to organizational policies and practices after injustice has occurred).



A quality consultant should have plans to create an issue resolution system that is:



l	Elegant (e.g., has simple procedures, broad application, and a good diagnostic system);



l	Accessible (e.g., is easy to use, well advertised, and comprehensible, and is conducted through an open process);



l	Correct (e.g., is administered well, includes follow­up, is self­redesigning, and has correctable outcomes);



l	Responsive (e.g., is timely and culturally viable, and has tangible results and management commitment to the process); and



l	Non­punitive (e.g., has an appeal system, protects anonymity, and is non­retributive).



3.	How will the services you provide help us develop policies and practices that stimulate pride in work?



+	Train all workers to know what the business is about, the challenges the company faces, and the contributions they make to the company's productivity.  High­performance companies find sharing information with all employees critical to their success.  A quality consultant should assess your current communications system and be ready to design and implement a more effective system by:



l	Determining the types of information that should be shared, such as strategic plans, organizational priorities, budget constraints, operating results by business unit, competitors' relative performance, and plans for new technology;



l	Employing new techniques (e.g., e­mail, groupware, networks) to move information across the organization in ways that encourage and facilitate employee access; and



l	Providing workers the necessary training in how to interpret and apply pertinent data, while respecting the confidentiality of such data.



+ 	Provide opportunities for individual and collective involvement in problem solving at all levels of the company.  Continuous learning requires an action orientation, i.e., the company has to provide opportunities for employees to use their skills and demonstrate their commitment.  It is in these opportunities for involvement that learning occurs.  A quality consultant should have plans to design and implement a number of innovative structures and programs to tap into employees' knowledge, and to determine which structures and programs would be most appropriate to your firm.  These may range from consultative committees (quality circles) to self­directed work teams.



+ 	Provide opportunities for individual and collective involvement in decision making related to management systems.  To be truly effective, high­performance companies are working to end confrontational relationships between workers and managers.  A quality consultant should have plans to design and implement programs to develop partnerships between management and workers and unions focused on joint accountability, responsibility, and decision making on such issues as the company's mission and goals.



+	Ensure that ongoing professional development and technical training strategies equip workers with a broad range of skills to increase labor flexibility, develop employees' capacity, and maximize employees' contributions.  High­performance companies view their workers as valuable assets and make investments accordingly.  They change in fundamental ways their approach to worker learning.  A quality consultant should have plans to design and implement a workforce development program that:



l	Integrates training, work design, and employee communication;



l	Facilitates the deployment and takes full advantage of performance support systems;

l	Provides learning experiences that enhance long­term skills while enabling employees to address short­term problems on the job (through programs such as job rotation, cross­functional teams, and benchmarking); and



l	Balances training investments among all workers, providing workers with new skills in problem solving, team building, and the basics of business operations; and managers with training for their new roles as strategic planners, coaches, teachers, and facilitators.



+ 	Organize work to promote employee skill development, commitment, responsibility, flexibility, and organizational productivity.  Commitment has less to do with the personal qualities people bring with them to the workplace than with how jobs are designed and managed within it.  High­performance firms build participation and empowerment into their organizational structure.  A quality consultant should have plans to help flatten organizational structures, push decision making to the lowest levels of the firm, assemble employees into teams that perform entire processes, and break down barriers across departments.  The consultant should be experienced in the use of broad job classifications, special assignments, job rotation, multi­skilling, and cross­functional positions and teams.





4.	How will the services you provide help us develop policies and practices that demonstrate respect and value for employees and their representative organizations, and promote mutual trust?



+ 	Ensure that the basic terms of employment are fair and equitable.  In a high­performance work arena, companies that want to attract, motivate, and retain the best employees use a variety of systems to provide fair and equitable terms of employment, recognize performance and skill attainment, and establish an employee stake in the enterprise.  A quality consultant should have plans to assess your current compensation and benefit system, and help design and implement any changes necessary to enhance fairness and equity.  (In a unionized setting, the collective bargaining agreement serves as the basis for any examination of compensation and benefits.  Any changes in compensation and benefits will be negotiated through the collective bargaining process.) This may involve:



l	Conducting wage and benefit surveys to monitor the market rate and make adjustments to the standard compensation package in order to maintain pay and benefits at or above market rates;



l	Performing job evaluation studies to assess the relative value of jobs within the company, implementing a skill­based pay system, or placing all employees on salaried status with common fringe benefits;



l	Linking pay to both individual and organizational performance through incentive systems that enable individual workers or work teams to receive financial rewards when they improve the product or the work process, or when they make other improvements; and



l	Making employees partners in the creation and distribution of wealth through gain sharing, profit sharing, and/or stock ownership.



+ 	Demonstrate a long­term commitment to labor­management partnership through efforts to ensure employment security.  A quality consultant should have plans to design and implement systems to:



l	Enhance employability by helping employees assess their skills and develop new skills through training and job assignments.  This may be done through employee development centers offering self­assessment tools, career counseling, educational opportunities, job listings within the company, and information about the jobs of the future.



l	Minimize or avoid laying off workers by reducing payroll expenses until business improves (e.g., early retirement or buy­out programs, shortened work hours, job sharing, and/or salary/wage reductions), keeping work in­house and redeploying workers within the company  (e.g., grow business into new areas, or build on existing product lines or services), putting people into training when work demand is slow, implementing an employee exchange program, or pursuing employee ownership.



l	Support no­fault exits by providing ample advanced notice, downsizing primarily through attrition and voluntary separation, and investing in retraining and out­placement for employees regardless of their level (outplacement may include establishing a transition center, providing counseling support, and supplementing individual job hunt efforts with a direct mail campaign to other employers in the area).



Employment security provisions are sometimes the product of collective bargaining agreements.  In these cases, the consultant should recognize and respect labor's independent role and its mission to provide job security.



+ 	Ensure that the work environment supports a high quality of work life and protects employees' health and safety.  In today's tight economic environment, companies adopting family­supportive and other quality­of­life policies gain a competitive advantage by attracting and retaining a more talented, committed, and productive workforce.  A quality consultant should have plans to design and implement systems to support a high quality of work life and a safe working environment.  This may include recommendations to:



l	Improve the condition of the actual physical plant;



l	Promote fitness, health, and safety through flexible work hours and days, accommodations for disabled employees, child care, and anti­discrimination policies and practices;



l	Monitor employee morale and commitment (through periodic employee surveys or  informal meetings between senior executives and lower­level associates) and promptly and systematically address any problems; and



l	Collect and analyze safety incidents, and use this information to identify ways to reduce accidents.



In unionized firms, the consultant should know of and respect the integrity of the contract in defining many conditions of work.



­ Feel free to make copies of the Worksheet ­





Instructions:  Ask each question along with any follow­up questions needed to make sure that the consultant has had an opportunity to address each of the points contained in the Answers section of the Guide.  Probes listed with each of the questions should help you to formulate any follow­up questions you need to ask.



1.	How will the services you provide help us develop a process for establishing and modifying policies and practices that build commitment by both labor and management to improve individual and firm performance?



	Probes:



ä	In unionized firms, ensure that the union is recognized and accepted as an independent source of power for workers.

ä	Ensure that the development and modification of policies and practices is conducted in an atmosphere of mutual respect, trust, and goodwill.

ä	Ensure the viability and credibility of the process for developing and modifying policies and practices.

ä	Establish relevant criteria for developing and modifying policies and practices.

ä	Ensure that monitoring and review of the performance of the workplace is ongoing.

ä	Provide a comprehensive training and development program to assist both workers and managers to acquire the communication, interpersonal, group, and industrial relations skills needed to develop and implement best practice policies and practices.

2.	How will the services you provide help us develop policies and practices that do not disadvantage any individual or group of employees?



	Probes:



ä	Ensure that policies and practices minimize social and economic distinctions between management and other employees.

ä	Ensure that issue resolution systems provide due process and allow free speech.



3.	How will the services you provide help us develop policies and practices that stimulate pride in work?



	Probes:



ä	Train all workers to know what the business is about, the challenges the company faces, and the contributions they make to the company's productivity.

ä	Provide opportunities for individual and collective involvement in problem solving at all levels of the company.

ä	Provide opportunities for individual and collective involvement in decision making related to management systems.

ä	Ensure that ongoing professional development and technical training strategies equip workers with a broad range of skills to increase labor flexibility, develop employees' capacity, and maximize employees' contributions.

ä	Organize work to promote employee skill development, commitment, responsibility, flexibility, and organizational productivity.



4.	How will the services you provide help us develop policies and practices that demonstrate respect and value for employees and their representative organizations, and promote mutual trust?



	Probes:



ä	Ensure that the basic terms of employment are fair and equitable.

ä	Demonstrate a long­term commitment to labor­management partnership through efforts to ensure employment security.

ä	Ensure that the work environment supports a high quality of work life and protects employees' health and safety.

­ Feel free to make copies of the Comparison Chart ­





Instructions:  Put the names of each of the consultants you interviewed in the blank boxes across the top.  Use the notes from your Interview Worksheets with these consultants to place a check mark in the boxes corresponding to the points the different consultants made.  Add up the number of points covered by each consultant.  Also note whether the consultants' corporate resumes, staff resumes, and references demonstrate quality and experience, and note the consultants' costs.  In comparing consultants, do not rely solely on the totals.  Be sure also to compare which points the consultants did and did not cover and whether you can address the points not covered by a consultant, whether the consultants' materials demonstrate quality and relevant experience, and program costs.



QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

1.	Develops a process for establishing 

	and modifying policies and practices that build commitment by both labor and management?

	­	Recognizes and accepts the union as 

		an independent source of power for 

		workers.

	­	Establishes an atmosphere of mutual 

		respect, trust, and goodwill.

	­ 	Ensures a viable and credible 

		process.

	­	Establishes relevant criteria for 

		developing and modifying policies 

		and practices.

	­ 	Ensures ongoing monitoring and 

		review of workplace performance.

	­ 	Provides a comprehensive training 

		and development program to acquire 

		the skills needed to develop and 			implement best practice policies 			and practices.

2.	Develops policies that do not 

	disadvantage any individual or 

	group of employees?

	­ 	Minimizes social and economic 

		distinctions between management 			and other employees.

	­	Ensures issue resolution systems 

		provide due process, allow free 			speech, and provide the ability to 			confront those in authority.

3.	Stimulates pride in work?

	­	Trains all workers to know what the 

		business is about, the challenges the 			company faces, and the contributions 	they make to the company's 				productivity.

	­	Involves all levels in problem 

		solving.

	­ 	Provides for involvement in decision 

		making related to management 			systems.

	­ 	Ensures ongoing professional

		development and technical training 			strategies.

	­ 	Organizes work to promote 

		employee skill development, 				commitment, responsibility, 				flexibility, and organizational 			productivity.

4.	Demonstrates respect and value, 

	and promotes mutual trust?

	­	Ensures basic terms of employment 

		are fair and equitable.

	­ 	Ensures employment security.

	­ 	Ensures a high quality of work life, 

		and protects employees' health and 

		safety.

TOTAL POINTS

MATERIALS DEMONSTRATE EXPERIENCE AND QUALITY

	­ 	Corporate resumes.

	­ 	Staff resumes.

	­ 	References.

COST